


Return of the Phantom: Episode Fox

by CrossZSona (CrossZSilver)



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Mentioned Phantom Thieves of Hearts - Freeform, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:53:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrossZSilver/pseuds/CrossZSona
Summary: With the world saved, and the needs of it for the Phantom Thieves answered, the group of teenagers are setting out to seize their own destinies. In Yusuke's mind however, it's everyone else making these strides, with himself being stagnant in comparison.During a chance encounter with the Persona users that came before him, Yusuke is thrust into one last adventure as Fox of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. In this journey, he hopes to save the day once more, move past his feelings of stagnation and regret, and perhaps realise his feelings for one of his companions.
Relationships: Kanji Tatsumi/Naoto Shirogane (mentioned), Kitagawa Yusuke/Okumura Haru, Ren Amamiya/Makoto Niijima (mentioned)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	1. A Chance Encounter

Walking through Kosei’s double doors, taking in the familiar scenery, with the cerulean painted walls, the banner with the school’s logo hanging from the main stairway, the light cascading down from the stained-glass window that adorned the front of the building… It felt like nothing had changed in the past year.

While Yusuke Kitagawa was now a third year at Kosei High, and had been for two weeks, it all felt the same to him. Sure, the faces of his old seniors had been replaced with those of fresh upstarts beginning their tenure, and his classes had changed around, he could’ve been told that he was actually repeating the second year and he’d be hard pressed to disprove the feeling. He gave the lady in charge of the school store an absentminded wave as he started to climb up to the third floor. He was sure he had an art history class today, so it was surprising to him when he saw a substantial group of third years gathering outside the music room. He recognized a few faces in the crowd, including Hifumi, Ren’s friend who had been slowly climbing back up the ranks of Shogi, and Kengo, the music student who lived above him with a tendency to practice at irregular times. With a raised eyebrow and a curious expression, he sauntered along to the growing number of students.

“Pardon the intrusion, but I thought we were doing art history in the morning today,” he said quizzically, hoping one of his fellow classmates would answer him. His hopes would soon be answered, as one of them turned to face him.

“You forgot Kitagawa? Morning classes are cancelled cause we’re having some people come in to talk about stuff. One of ‘em’ll be down in the textiles room, but the rumour is that we’re getting Rise freakin’ Kujikawa to talk to us about music and stuff!”

Yusuke narrowed his gaze at the boy who’d addressed him and brought a hand up to his cheek to think. “Rise Kujikawa? Forgive me, but I don’t see why that’s so important that most of Kosei’s third year students are packing each other in like they’re on a train just to find out if it’s true.”

The boy stared at him for a couple of seconds before letting out a pained groan. “My God man, you really _do_ go own at your own pace don’tcha? She’s only one of the hottest up and coming actresses in Japan! Looks, voice, acting, she’s got it all! Haven’t you seen Sapphire?!”

He could feel his eye twitch, as slight as it was. He knew he had a reputation for being more eccentric than your average Kosei student, and while he sometimes embraced that fact, it never felt good to have it pointed out in such a backhanded way. Still, Yusuke did recall seeing posters for the aforementioned movie, most notably the one that used to hang on Ren’s wall. Her visage on the poster reminded him of Ann in a way. Both had an air of beauty and confidence to them, and their lines of work weren’t that far apart either.

“I see. Alas, I’m not musically inclined, so I shall be heading to the textiles room instead,” Yusuke replied curtly, before heading back towards the stairs. Whatever goodbye he was sent off with was drowned out by the murmurs of students wondering when their awaited guest speaker would arrive.

The second floor was mostly empty, save for teachers making their way to their classrooms and students desperately racing to the third floor in the hopes of seeing their idol. Thankfully, there was no such activity near the textiles room as there was the music room above them. He elected to enter through the back door of the classroom, quietly closing it behind him before he went to sit down at a nearby stool. As he rummaged through his carrier bag, his eyes snapped to the front of the room. He wasn’t the only one in there.

Two people were talking to each other. One was sitting at the front desk, moving what he recognised as basic weaving tools around. His raven coloured hair was swept back, revealing a scar near his left eye. If it hadn’t been for his glasses, he would’ve confused him for one of Kaneshiro’s goons. While his leather jacket was mostly closed, he could make out a hint of a yellow shirt underneath, with a sort of ribcage design. He was most likely the other guest come to talk to them today. The other was leaning back against the wall, with her head titled slightly as she spoke. He only had time to make out the brown copper pig tails that laid at each side of her face before he recognised her. Rise Kujikawa, the woman so many of his fellow students were waiting to meet, was hanging around in the textile room chatting to what he could only assume was a friend of hers.

“C’mon Kanji, you’ll be fine. I’ve seen you teach kids half the age of people here,” She said, smiling at her friend as she tried to convince him. “Besides. Once we’re done here, we’ll be able to meet up with Naoto for food later!”

Yusuke could’ve sworn he saw Kanji’s cheeks redden a little at the mention of this Naoto. The name reminded him of the original detective prince, Naoto Shirogane, which in turn reminded him of Akechi. He could feel his stomach churn as he thought of the unspeakable crimes he had committed during his tenure under Shido’s command, a feeling that was only heightened when those thoughts were contrasted with the detective’s own tragic upbringing and his sacrifice in their final mission. His fingers dug into his knees as his mind wandered. He could never forgive him for his actions, especially so for the deaths of Haru’s father and Futaba’s mother, and on some subconscious level he felt glad that he couldn’t threaten anyone anymore, and yet he still felt as if he was going to feel conflicted on the topic for the rest of his life.

It seemed as though his inner turmoil hadn’t gone unnoticed however, as when he looked up, he was greeted with the sight of Rise and Kanji standing in front of him.

“Hey, kid. Are you feelin’ ok?” Kanji asked. His face had a concerned look, and he had bent down a little to try and get a good look at Yusuke. Rise had a similar expression, and she seemed to be nervously fiddling with the hem of her orange shirt. Once he had realized that they were actually looking for answer, he shot up off of his stool and raised his hands up in front of his face.

“O-oh, pardon me. I was simply lost in thought,” Yusuke replied apologetically. He let out a nervous chuckle and started to wipe the dust away from his thighs. Kanji had seemed a little startled by his sudden actions, which elicited a sly giggle from Rise, who was quickly nudged in the side by her friend. Yusuke took a second to clear his throat before continuing. “So, you’re our guest lecturers, if I’m not mistaken?”

“Damn right. Name’s Kanji Tatsumi, but you and the other students can just call me Kanji,” Kanji answered, his voice carrying a hint of pride. He extended his hand out to Yusuke, who slowly shook it. The textile worker had a firm grip, not unlike his own as an artist.

“And I’m Rise Kujikawa, though you probably already knew that. I’ll be talking about Music and the business aspects you’ll have to face as a performer. That is, if Kanji-kun over here doesn’t amaze you with his spectacular sewing skills~” Rise added, nudging Kanji back whilst letting out another chuckle. Yusuke raised an eyebrow and gave them a curt look.

“Forgive me, but are the two of you dating by any chance? You remind me of some friends of mine who others think should be.” Yusuke was a little surprised to see Kanji step back a little and glare at him while Rise tried in vain to contain her laughter.

“Hahaha, no, no, we’re not. Sorry about that kid,” Rise replied, with a hand close to her mouth to stifle any more laughter that dared escape her lips. Her gaze turned to Kanji, who was starting to turn into a tomato, if the changing colour of his cheeks was any indication. With a light slap to his shoulder, she tried to calm him down. “Oh c’mon big guy. You know I could never take you away from our detective prince,” Rise added, laying the singsong cadence on thick. Despite this, she caught Yusuke’s gaze lower in her peripheral vision, and quickly turned back to him. “O-oh, sorry. You probably only knew the second,” She said to Yusuke in a somewhat soft-spoken tone. “The first, Naoto Shirogane is a good friend of ours. She’s amazing, as Kanji over here can attest to,” She continued, giving a sly wink to the blue haired boy.

By the way Kanji was groaning with his face in his hands, Yusuke could’ve sworn that the black-haired man was just about ready to die on the inside. In what was perhaps a display of mercy, Yusuke motioned to speak.

“Forgive me. It seems as though I had refrained from introducing myself before. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa. I would say I’m more of a practitioner of the drawn and painted art form, but I do have an interest in seeing how skilled weavers work. I look forward to seeing what wisdom you can bestow upon us, Tatsu-I, mean, Kanji,” He said, bowing forward and giving the two of them a smile.

Kanji coughed into his hand and shook his head as he tried to compose himself. “Uh, t-thanks kid. Warms my heart to see that you’re interested in this.” His eyes slowly wandered over to the clock that hung above them, before turning back towards Rise. “Hey, shouldn’t you be heading on up to the music room right about now? Don’t wanna keep your faithful waitin’.”

“Oh stop it,” Rise replied sheepishly, flicking her hand at Kanji in fake protest as she stifled another bit of laughter. “You’re right though, I probably should get going. Good luck Kanji, you too Yusuke-kun!” She went to the door and opened it, leaving the two boys with a wave before she exited. Even through the closed doors though, the two could swear they heard muffled cheers within seconds.

Kanji let out a quiet chuckle and started walking back to what would be his desk for the day. “Well I better get started soon. Take a seat at one of the work benches Yusuke. Get yourself a needle and some yarn. There’ll be some other things as well, but I don’t wanna assume everybody comin’ into this has experience, y’know? Best to start with the basics,” he said, casually pointing to the supplies at the right side of the room. Yusuke gave the man a nod and started moving.

Slowly, more and more students started to trickle in until the class was filled by around twenty or so students. While it was a little full for the classroom, Kanji had had no issue adjusting. The main order of the day was getting into basics, which most of the students were able to grasp fairly quickly, especially under Kanji’s guiding hands. Yusuke himself had been performing admirably, with Kanji’s instructions resonating with him quickly. There was an odd sense of familiarity there, though he brushed it off as simply being related to their introduction earlier.

By the time the clock struck 11AM, everyone had elected to take a break from proceedings. Everyone else had elected to stay in class to talk to each other. Whether it was about the new classes, current goings on in Tokyo, or about how their guest lecturer was really nice, it didn’t matter much to Yusuke. Having packed up his things, he pushed open the door and went to step outside. The halls were empty, as to be expected. Their actual lunch breaks didn’t start until midday, so he wasn’t likely to bump into anyone there. He strolled along the halls, before stopping by the stairwell window overlooking the back area of the school.

He leaned against the guard rail, though it felt like it was propping him up more than he was leaning. He lazily pulled his phone out of his pocket and went immediately to his IM app, going straight to the PT group chat. While the last couple of messages told the tale of an argument between Ryuji and Futaba on the subject of boats (one Futaba was losing heavily), the conversation before that involved the rest of the group talking about their new experiences.

Haru and Makoto had sent in pictures of their apartment that they had set up together. While there were still boxes to remove, everything had seemed to be in order. Haru had even been able to convince the buildings owner to let her use a portion of the roof to grow plants, just like at Shujin. She had even asked him in the chat if he wanted to come over during the weekend to help her out just like the last time.

Next was Ann, who had peppered the chatroom with various pictures of Paris. One was of the Eiffel Tower, the next was of a sweet shop, and another was of a picture Ann had taken with a tourist, claiming she had seen her playing violin and asked to take a picture. She had further commented on it, saying that her boyfriend who had taken the picture had a similar air to Ren, especially with his glasses, even if his hair was a fiery red next to Ren’s black locks.

While Futaba had no pictures to share, she did have stories. Stories about how she was doing well in most of her classes; Stories about how the cafeteria food couldn’t hold a candle to Sojiro’s cooking; Stories about how she had been able to defuse a fight between two first years by informing them of their very similar interests in tokusatsu shows. By her own admission, it wasn’t perfect, but it was a good start.

Ryuji was making sure to give everyone semi-constant updates as to how his rehabilitation was going. The doctor assigned to him had made it clear that it would take at least a month or two to start seeing results, especially with how it had broken and healed in the first place. After that however, it was very likely that it would be safe for him to re-join the track team, something that it was _very_ clear that he was enthusiastic about.

Finally, Ren and Morgana were quickly settling into life back in Ren’s hometown of Matsumoto. Ren’s father had acquiesced pretty quickly on allowing him to keep Morgana, despite the fact that they also lived above a café similar to Leblanc. He had sent in a picture of it. It had a similarly homely feel to Boss’ café, but it was at least twice as large, though that was to be expected since more than one person was living there. Going back to his old school was easier than expected, even if most of his old friends and acquaintances hadn’t welcomed him back with open arms. Ren had taken to helping his father out at work whenever he had time off and was learning how to cook more than just curry and coffee. Morgana was certainly enjoying the extended menu, _especially_ when fatty tuna was on the menu.

Seeing his friends thriving in their new circumstances brought a smile to the teen’s face. With it, however, also came a twinge of sadness, of jealousy, of abandonment. As he scrolled absentmindedly through the chat logs, he couldn’t help but remember what he had told them on the day that everyone decided to lay their plans bare. While he _had_ gotten a start on the painting meant to express his feelings brought upon by their journey, the truth of the matter was that he had been suffering an extreme case of artist’s block. His fingers pushed back against the glass screen harder than he had intended, and the ripples he saw in his phone only made him think of the ripple effect Ryuji’s announcement had caused that day. While his blonde-haired friend had tried to console him, saying his efforts still counted as ‘some kind of stride’, he couldn’t help but shake the fact that he was the only one not going through a major change in their lives.

His fingers had started to tap rhythmically against the cold steel of the railing, and he narrowed his eyes against the screen. It had been a month and a half since that revelation. He had quickly settled back into the routine he had last year, only without his mission as a Phantom Thief to carry out. While he could accept that the world not needing them anymore was for the best, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss it. That exhilarating feeling of happening upon a new palace; Gazing upon its fantastical structures which served to inspire him more than anything else had before; Striking down Shadows with the same precision he brought to his art; It was hard to accept that those days were now gone.

Marred by hesitation, he decided to bring up his message log with Haru, since she was the only one displayed as being active at the moment. While the two of them hadn’t had a lot of time to spend together since her arrival to the group, they had been having regular conversations up till last night. Haru had been adamant in her desire to open up her own café someday, and she had decided to ask for his opinion on many design elements. Since he had already helped with her flower arrangements on Shujin’s roof before, it must’ve felt right to her to ask him. He wasn’t an experience interior designer by any means, but the two had built up somewhat of a rapport over these brainstorming sessions, as well as other events such as darts in Kichijoji with Ren, going out to get dinner (Haru’s request, given that Yusuke’s lack of funds was a topic that was not uncommon), or that time on Valentine’s Day where Yusuke requested Haru’s aid in roller skating simply because he wanted to try it out on a day when there would be a discount. He had only made it halfway through typing out a request to meet up before he solemnly deleted it and put his phone into sleep mode.

Talking to her, as well as the rest of their friends made him happy. It helped him ignore the sense of dread over his current station and live in the moment, but he couldn’t put such a request on any of them now. They were reaching out to their futures, and he would feel ashamed to impose upon them and reduce any chance of success they had. After what felt like an eternity of staring out at the various structures and trees that made up the back of Kosei, he placed his phone back into his pocket, taking care not to drop it over the rail as he could feel his hands trembling.

In a bid to try and recover his lost jubilance, he straightened up his posture and went off to wander Kosei’s second floor again, making sure to wipe his eyes in case any tears had escaped his eyes unbeknownst to him. With everyone either in class or attending one of the guest lectures being provided, they were relatively empty, meaning it was unlikely that he would be disturbed. However, he didn’t expect the shoe to be on the other foot, as he saw Kanji leaning back against a set of lockers. He looked to be taking a phone call, and given his slouched posture and dour expression, disturbing him wouldn’t lighten his mood. Yusuke moved to turn around, though the words that came out of the tradesman’s mouth stopped him dead in his tracks.

“…And you’re sayin’ there’s _shadow activity_ over there?”

Yusuke’s ears perked up, and he darted behind another set of lockers within hearing distance. Shadow activity? They had not only dealt with the God of Control, but also Dr. Maruki’s plans some two months ago at this point. He could feel his hands start to tense up, but he tried to keep his breathing low and steady. He wouldn’t find out for sure if he got caught.

“And you can’t send someone else? What do you mean we’re the only ones available, we’re not even official members!”

Kanji raised his arm to slam his free hand against the lockers in frustration, but hesitated, then slowly set it back down. With a hushed sigh, he continued to speak.

“And you’re sure it’ll be fine? Rise ain’t like you y’know. She was always more of a nav than anythin’… Tokyo U right? We’ll start heading over now. Got it.”

Yusuke didn’t wait long enough to see him hang up his phone. He was already heading off towards his locker. Thoughts raced through his mind as he all but barrelled through the art school’s hallways. Thoughts such as how there could be shadow activity happening now of all times, what group this man and Rise Kujikawa of all people was affiliated with, and most importantly, whether he should warn the others.

Even ignoring the three Phantom Thieves that weren’t even _in_ Tokyo at the moment, Futaba was still getting used to being back in school, Ryuji was probably in a therapy session and he wasn’t about to pull Makoto or Haru away from their college classes. He couldn’t possibly trouble them with such a revelation when he was still lacking in critical information. In his mind, he was going to have to go it alone.

_Alone…_

“Blast it. I cannot allow myself to dwell on those thoughts. Not now of all times,” Yusuke muttered to himself as he rounded the bend of the halls and dashed down the metal stairway. It was a small matter of pride that he had had the sense to opt for a ground level locker in his first year, something which served him well whenever he needed to leave quickly. His eyes surveyed the floor quickly, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he found no one else was wandering these corridors like he was. He stopped by his locker and deftly opened his combination lock. While it _did_ contain the traditional art supplies a student of an art school would use in their classes, he swiftly reached for a deep blue gym back and slung it over his shoulder. This bag contained the last weapons he had made use of in the Metaverse before Maruki’s defeat. Even after the Phantom Thieves of Hearts had disbanded for what felt like the last time, he had brought the bag with him and left it there, as it had become habitual during their tenure. It was likely that he was going to have to defend himself if he investigated further, so it was good to be prepared. He closed his locker back up and started to make a beeline for the door. Unfortunately for him…

“Yusuke?”

Yusuke’s eyes snapped to the side, looking for who could’ve spotted him. They eventually rested upon the slightly puzzled Hifumi Togo. An acquaintance of his and friend of Ren’s, there was certainly worse people that could’ve found him.

“Ah, Hifumi,” Yusuke turned on his heel to face his classmate. Her head was titled slightly and there was a look of confusion in her eyes. “Not interested in Kujikawa-san’s lecture, are we?” He shifted his gear bag a little behind him. Though it was very possible she knew of his past participations in phantom thievery, he didn’t want her figuring out that he was about to undertake another mission.

“Oh, no. She’s just wrapped up actually. Something about a scheduling conflict meaning she and her friend had to leave early,” Hifumi replied, lightly shrugging her shoulders. She waited a little before continuing on. “Speaking of leaving early, are you going somewhere?” She crossed her arms and threw Yusuke a perplexed look, one that reminded him of Makoto’s own inquisitive stare.

“I’m starting to feel a little ill. If anyone else asks for me, can you tell them that I was feeling sick today?” He replied somewhat hesitantly. While he wasn’t as scholarly as their team’s strategist was, he didn’t like having to lie about his health to escape from a situation like this. “It’s probably due to lack of eating, but I’ll be fine. I just need to take some time off.”

Hifumi let out a sigh and started to open up her bag. “If you want, I can call Makoto and she could come by-“

“Don’t!” He cried out, raising his arm in protest, and causing Hifumi to startle. After realising how he’d reacted, he pulled back his arms and tried to compose himself. “She’s still getting used to her university classes. I wouldn’t want to impose on her. I’ll be fine by myself,” Yusuke added somewhat sheepishly. He waited with bated breath for Hifumi’s response.

“…Just don’t overdo things, alright? Ren _did_ mention that you tended to overextend yourself and leaving yourself open is just as much a mistake in the real world as it is in Shogi,” Hifumi said. She turned to walk away and said goodbye to Yusuke, who in turn went on his own and made his way for the entrance, hoping that Rise and Kanji hadn’t left in the intervening time it took him to get down there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First work. Hopefully you all enjoyed it. 
> 
> Yes, Yusuke did keep his weapons in his Kosei locker. They've got surprisingly big lockers over there.


	2. To and Through Tokyo U

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After learning of Kanji and Rise's mission and escaping Kosei, Yusuke rushes off to Tokyo University to try and follow them. Will he make it in time, and will he be able to follow them without getting caught?

When it came to how he spent his money, Yusuke had something of a one-track mind. Most of his funds were devoted to his pursuit of the arts, to the point that shortly after he had joined the Phantom Thieves, his friends had had to tell him numerous times to put his money towards other things first. His eating habits, or lack thereof, were a common topic of concern. Ryuji had made it a point to treat him to ramen occasionally. Makoto offered to draw him up a healthier eating plan, something Haru backed up when she offered to let him try out some of her plants she had been growing. If there was one thing he was thankful he _didn’t_ skimp on however, it was the bicycle that he was currently retrieving his brown leather jacket from.

Purchased early on in the last school year as a way to save money when his commuter’s pass wouldn’t apply, he had gotten a lot of use out of it riding around the city, whether it be for transportation, relaxation or artistic inspiration. It had been made at Madarame’s suggestion, and while he had long since made peace with that fact, the greater issue of his former sensei still troubled him from time to time. Even as he deftly removed his key ring from his jeans to unlock his bike, flashes of that benevolent spectre of Maruki’s creation played back in his mind. With a low grunt, he tried to force those images into the back of his mind. He knew that the real Madarame was nothing like the farce he had bore witness to in that reality. Any doubts he had about that situation would have to be dealt with later. As he wrested the cerulean bike from its place amidst the other bicycles, he tried to refocus on his mission. He let out a low growl before riding off, quickly passing through Kosei’s main gates.

Yusuke blazed through the streets of Tokyo, weaving through streets and other alleys. As he skid past a young woman while ducking into another alleyway, he gave a sigh of relief that his jacket made it so that nobody could tell he was a Kosei student. It wouldn’t do for him to be apprehended by the police before he could find out what was going on. Makoto would probably give him a stern talking to once she found out, which was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. He glanced down at his feet for a microsecond, being met only with what seemed like a blur in his vision. If this turned out to be untrue, then he got the feeling that his legs were going to hate him for what he was currently putting them through at the moment. Tokyo University wasn’t that far from Kosei, but seeing as it was relatively close to midday, the traffic was bound to be hectic, something he was reminded of as he only barely escaped being flattened under the weight of a silver jeep. The driver’s protestations at his actions went unanswered, as he continued on. In between sharp breathes he took, he tried to recall what the best route would be from his position. Whilst he drew a map of the immediate area in his mind, he swiftly tucked his down to avoid a shop sign he had come dangerously close to smashing his face into. With a quick glance back and a quiet sigh of relief, he continued on his way.

The sight of Tokyo University made Kosei feel like a shed compared to a mansion. Numerous buildings lined the campus, all for the express purpose of teaching people in the various disciplines of the human world. It had been his first time in the area that wasn’t spent just passing by. The swathes of students walking around, presumably going from class to class was nothing short of breath taking. The sun finally taking its chance to make itself known that day certainly helped matters. It took his entire force of will not get wrapped up in the astounding scenery before him and remember his mission.

Once he had secured his bike on one of the many bike ranks that lined up the college car park, he took a look around once more. Given the path he came in, the traffic conditions he’d seen on his way here as well as the time he estimated it would’ve taken for them to clear things up with the staff, there was no way that Kanji and Rise could’ve beaten him here. As he sat down on some steps further away from the car park, he left his chin in his hand and started to think. Even if he was able to follow them through the college, he had zero knowledge of how to navigate the grounds, let alone any of the buildings that were littered along the way. One wrong move and he would likely lose them. He couldn’t afford to do that, not when he was so close to figuring out if he had a reason to worry or not. Like the hint of despair that had formed inside of him, his fingers dug into his chin. Yusuke was lost in thought. At least, he was until somebody had softly put their hand on his shoulder and spoke up.

“Yusuke?”

He bolted up from his position and turned around once more, placing his gear bag between him and his would-be assailant as some kind of barrier. Not that that would be necessary, seeing as Haru, who stood in front of him, seemed to be just as startled as he was. He loosened up a little and smiled. Seeing her did put him at ease, despite his situation. She seemed to be equipped for the weather too, wearing a grey zip up hoodie with a lavender undershirt, along with a denim skirt, leggings, and boots. She also had a pink gear bag hoist over her back, similar to the bag he clung to on his left shoulder, and a more traditional book bag slung over her right arm.

“Haru. Lovely to see you here. I hope your new studies are treating you well, but if I may ask, why are you carrying around that bag on your back? Is it related to your studies?”

“Why hello to you too Yusuke,” she replied, tilting her head, and letting out a quiet chuckle. She nudged the back at her back with her left arm and glanced back at it. “Oh, this? No, it’s not as complicated as that. Our lecturer wanted to do a show and tell game, to try and get all us students to know each other better. So, I decided to bring in my old axe and grenade launcher.” Yusuke swiftly recalled Haru’s elegant demeanour contrasted with the somewhat brutish weaponry she cared to use. Every time she brought her axe down upon a shadow’s form, it felt like the ground beneath their feet moved to match it. Sometimes he feared what would’ve happened if that kind of power hadn’t been left in the hands of Haru, a woman so caring that her Persona’s ultimate technique revolved around protecting the others from harm.

“I think you can guess that my classmates were shocked by them. It’s not every day you see a girl like me pulling out an axe nearly half her size. Still, I felt it was important to show them that I’m more than just what my name is or what I’m studying,” she continued, and Yusuke could see a glint of the fire that showed in her gaze whenever she was faced with adversity, in the Metaverse or otherwise.

“Of course, I _could_ ask you the same question. Why _are_ you here Yusuke?” Haru asked, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Yusuke inquisitively. The teen’s mind went into overdrive, as he considered the possibilities, whether he should tell Haru or not, or if he even had the choice at this point. Still, there were a few things that were relatively clear. She likely knew her way around all of the buildings in the university better than he did, meaning she’d be able to keep track better if they lost Kanji and Rise. She had her weapons with her too. While they could still summon their Personas without their weapons, it meant nothing if they couldn’t defend _themselves_ somehow. It would mean he’d have less people to hide it from and having her around if he bumped into Makoto as well would help him explain his way out of it. Loathe as he was to admit it, if things turned for the worse, he also didn’t want to have to face it alone, especially not now of all times.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Yusuke stepped back behind the shadow of a nearby building, and ushered Haru to follow him. After a quick glance of the area, she quickly followed. Her gaze narrowed even further, as if she as trying to peer into the depths of his very soul for answers, answers she would soon find.

“Before I tell you, I must humbly ask that this stay between us. Nobody else, not even our friends can know. I don’t want to put that kind of worry on them.” Yusuke spoke solemnly, his voice breaking slightly on his last words, as if he realised that he couldn’t even uphold that wish fully by telling her.

“Alright Yusuke, but what could possibly require such secrecy?” Haru reached out for his sleeve and held his wrist. He had been looking down, but she could see his expression soften a little when she did.

“…We had two guests come to Kosei today. I ended up eavesdropping on one of them taking a phone call in the halls.” Yusuke took a few moments to examine the area once again. When he was sure that there was no one to eavesdrop on _them_ , he continued. “They said there was shadow activity here at the university-“

Haru gasped, though quickly brought her other hand up to her mouth as she tried to contain herself. Yusuke pulled his arm back, which only ended up pulling her closer to him. Realising what they had done, they both muttered quiet apologies, meekly looking away from the other before the blue haired teen continued.

“They should be arriving imminently. I know it seems preposterous that anything would occur after what happened with that blasted God of Control and the good doctor, but I’m afraid I couldn’t let this go.” Yusuke couldn’t help but see a twinge of pain flash through Haru’s eyes before she shook her head and urged him to keep going.

“You’re well equipped, and you know how to manoeuvre through here better than I. If they turn out to have been in Shido’s pocket, we can take care of them, and if not, then we’ll be able to give them a hand, since they might not know the full extent of what they’re in for. Please, Haru, won’t you-“

“It’s awfully bold of you to assume I’d say anything other than yes,” Haru replied, cutting him off once more. Yusuke brought a hand up to his mouth to cough and let out a murmur, while Haru gave him a wide smile. “I know how important something like this is. Plus, it’ll be exciting to slip back into our aliases once more, won’t it?” She added, winking at him playfully. He then moved to scratch the nape of his neck.

“I suppose it will be, yes. Thank, Haru.” He could feel the fires of his heart being rekindled in that moment. It would be a much better adventure with a good friend of his by his side. Once they had finished up, he pulled away slightly and moved to get a better look of the car park. “Now, if my calculations on the way over were correct, they should be arriving-“

His estimation of when Kanji and Rise would arrive was soundly cut off by the arrival of Kanji and Rise. In the distance, he could see his raven-haired teacher practically slam the door of what looked like his car before he was slapped on the shoulder by Rise for his troubles. Yusuke reached out and beckoned Haru to come closer to him, who did so quickly, the both of them acting on the instincts that had been honed by their year of thievery. “-right about now. Let’s move,” Yusuke said in a hushed tone. Haru gave him a knowing nod, and the two set off about shadowing their predecessors.

The two Phantom Thieves made their way through the college grounds, trailing Kanji and Rise at a reasonable distance. While the latter two were progressing at a brisk pace, Haru could tell that they hadn’t been as acquainted with the area as she was. As the two groups moved forward, Yusuke couldn’t help but voice some thoughts that were going through his mind.

“You know Haru, while it _is_ most advantageous that you’re acquainted with various hiding places throughout the grounds, I am curious as to why you know about them,” Yusuke asked quietly, looking down at Haru as both of their heads poked out from behind a wall.

“Well, since Tokyo University is such a big place, if you want somewhere where you can have some time to yourself, a lot of the places you can do it are out of the way. I guess my instincts from the old days must have kicked in for me to find as many as I did,” Haru responded quickly, keeping her gaze directly on Kanji and Rise as they looked around.

“You say that as if the old days weren’t mere months ago. It’s not like we’ve been back to our normal lives for that long,”

“Hmm… I suppose you’re right,” Haru replied wistfully, though her demeanour was quickly raised as she heard Yusuke try to stifle a chuckle, most likely from the spring wind causing her hair to move back and tickle him. While the winds weren’t as sharp as they were during the winter months, they had yet to reach the warmth of summer. Haru moved to speak once more. “…You know Yusuke, Tokyo University has a very good art program-“

“Wait. They’re moving into that building over there!” Yusuke pointed towards their subjects, who were quickly moving towards a rectangular-shaped building to the west. Haru’s eyes widened, and she turned her head in confusion.

“There? But that’s the engineering department building. Why in the world would they being going _there_ of all places?”

“Regardless, we’d best move on. Don’t want to lose the tail this far in, do we?” Yusuke replied, glancing back down at her as he moved away from the wall they were hiding behind. Haru gave him a curt nod before they moved to follow the two.

Now that they were inside, Haru and Yusuke had to be bolder in pursuing the two investigators. Their previous confusion in navigation had all but disappeared, which had thrown the Thieves off immensely. Whenever they caught a glimpse of Rise, she had her phone practically glued to her ear, so it was assumed that whoever was on the other end of the line was giving them directions. Unfortunately, things only grew more complicated when Kanji and Rise kept heading down flights of stairs. While they had pulled back to keep their cover, it did mean that when they had finally gotten to the bottom of what felt like a cavalcade of stairs, Haru only barely caught a shadow of Rise’s ponytails disappearing behind the right turn the end of the hallway. She quickly jabbed Yusuke to get his attention and informed him of where they should go next.

When Yusuke and Haru rounded the corner, their first instincts were to panic, as Kanji and Rise were nowhere to be seen. Yusuke could feel his hands start to tremble once more. How could they have lost them. They had been so close to finding out the mystery. If the blue haired thief wasn’t caught up in his own thoughts, he would’ve heard Haru utter a most uncharacteristic swear, most likely learned from Ryuji. Any more thoughts the two would’ve had were derailed by the faint sound of metal whirring coming from the end of the dimly lit hall. They looked at each other, both sets of eyes fraught with worry and hesitation, before shaking their heads in unison and tentatively moved towards the sound, as to not raise the suspicion of the others down with them at that moment. They came upon another turn. Yusuke stuck his head around to get a glimpse of what was waiting for them. All that laid there was an iron door. One with a sign that read ‘Private. Do not enter without express permission’ and yet, was slightly ajar. Yusuke was poised to move in but was quickly pulled by the sleeve of his jacket by Haru, who told him to listen when he turned his head to face her.

“Be careful. They’re still in there.” Haru moved her own head out from the corner and instructed Yusuke to do the same. Even amidst the whirring that had grown louder, the two of them could hear faint voices coming from within the room.

“So, we just type in the word on this note and should send us to wherever this place is?” a young woman asked in a curious tone. By the sounds of it, it was most likely Rise. They then heard the sounds of metal clanging against metal before they heard her speak again. “Kanji, what the hell are you doing?”

“C’mon. I’d like to have _something_ to protect myself with if I get tired. What are you gonna’ do, sing at ‘em?” Kanji replied, his gravelly voice carrying even as the whirring from before grew louder, most likely due to what they were working with in there. Yusuke and Haru started to straighten up to move in, until they heard Rise speak once more.

“And close the damn door before we go in! If somebody finds this before we’re done, who knows what’ll happen!” The two thieves quickly ducked back behind the corner before Kanji practically kicked the door closed. The harsh sounds rang out throughout the hallway, and Yusuke and Haru quickly moved around to the other side of the corner, eyeing the way they entered in case they had been followed the same way they had followed Kanji and Rise. Once they had confirmed they were safe, both thieves let out a quiet sigh of relief before sneaking up to the iron door. After what felt like an eternity, the harsh whizzing sounds grew, only to slowly fade out like a decrescendo. Yusuke glanced at the door and slowly put his ear up against it, flinching slightly against the cold kiss of the steel towards his head. He heard nothing else except whizzing. He pulled away and gave Haru a thumbs up, signifying that it seemed to be safe to enter. Hesitantly, she took hold of the handle and pulled it down. She then opened the door, revealing what was inside.

The room was fairly sized. Nothing too large, which was surprising given how far they had likely gone down. Its contents and furniture had been all but trashed. Given the wallpaper, and the fancy oakwood desk that was very clearly overturned, it appeared to have been a simple office for a respected professor of some kind. Everything else in the room seemed to support this as well. Research papers were strewn about the carpeted floor, a bookshelf near the back had its contents spilled out in front of it, and a crooked frame on the west wall showed who the room had likely belonged to. The picture inside showed a man with short, black, spiky hair, wearing a stereotypical scientist’s coat, with what looked to be some kind of Featherman shirt underneath. Had it not been for the stubble on his chin and the colour of his hair, he could’ve been a dead ringer for an older Ryuji, Yusuke thought.

All of that paled in comparison to the ghastly machine that took its place at the east side of the room, however. Its cold sheen of metal contrasted heavily with the warmer tones of the carpet and wood wallpaper, and it continued to hum with that irritating sound. It consisted of some kind of computer terminal, with a slanted bed to its right, and some kind of metal block to its left. It was probably a generator of some kind, given that’s what the sound seemed to be coming from.

“What in the world…” Yusuke was stunned. He gawked at the sight that laid before him. It took Haru lightly smacking his shoulder to snap him out of his trance.

“They said they typed in a word on a note and crossed over right? I’ll look around for the note while you wait by the computer, just to be safe.”

“W-what’s that supposed to mean Haru?” Yusuke replied, as he removed his bag from his shoulder. He started to pull out his weapons when Haru turned away from him.

“I-I don’t have a good history with technology,” she replied meekly, as she started shuffling through the papers that were laden across the floor.

“Ah… I see.” Yusuke didn’t want to push the issue further, especially during a time like this. He himself had had to ask for Futaba’s or Ryuji’s aid on more than one occasion when it came to operating a computer. Once he had his katana at his side and his rifle in his free hand, he went over to the computer. Hesitantly, he tapped on the enter key, jerking back a little as the screen lit up. He breathed a sigh of relief when all that appeared was a request for a name. “Thankfully, this machine seems easy to operate. All we’ll have to do is enter the name. How are you finding things Haru? Haru?” He looked back, wondering what was taking her so long to respond.

Haru had removed her equipment from her own gear bag as well. Carrying her axe and grenade launcher in her hands, she approached Yusuke with a balled-up piece of paper balanced between her chin and her chest. Once she was close, she let it drop into his hand, and he went about unfolding it. The note was pure white paper, and while the scrawl on it looked like it had been written in a hurry, the phrase was still as clear as day.

“Babylon? As in, the state, or perhaps the Hanging Gardens?” Yusuke mused. He had no idea who this person was, or how one of the wonders of the world had been connected to his mental state, but it was the only lead they had. He set the piece of paper down just above the keyboard and started to type. Once he had finished, he glanced back at Haru one more time and received a determined look, one filled with the fire he had known to be Noir’s for some time. He could feel her determination strengthening his resolve, and he smiled for her before turning back to the computer screen. After taking a second to compose himself, he pressed down hard on the enter key.

“Very well. As our leader would say, it’s showtime!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yusuke and Haru's outfits for this story are based off of Yusuke's Johnny's Coat outfit and Haru's Girl Worth Ten Billion Yen outfit from Dancing in Starlight, though the latter's red shirt is replaced with a lavender one, and Haru's hairstyle is her usual one.


End file.
